Export Initiatives

356 The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay) (3 December 2020). The value of South Australian exports declined by 5.7 per cent in 2019-20. What are the key factors that DIT believes are the reason for this decline?

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON (Morphett—Member of the Executive Council, Minister for Trade and Investment): I have been advised the following:

For much of our export income, we are a price taker on global markets and subject to seasonal conditions, so in any given year, South Australian exports experience production and value fluctuation.

In 2019-20, the annual goods export figure (down 5.7 per cent) was negatively influenced by declines in export value achieved for:

Refined copper—based on average annual price

Petroleum products—with more sold domestically rather than exported

Lead—influenced by prolonged outages at Nyrstar in Port Pirie

Wool—with the price falls driven by US-China trade relations and tariff threats (leading to reduced Chinese demand).

On a positive note, these declines were largely offset by strong production gains and export earnings in other commodities (particularly influenced by positive seasonal conditions), including:

Wheat

Barley

Legumes

Canola